Method of and apparatus for making holes in the ground



Aug. 16, 1932. GATY 1,871,601

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING HOLES IN THE GROUND Filed March 26,1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 mentor LEE $.GATY

A; Cittomeg Aug. 16, 1932. L S Y 1,871,601

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING HOLES IN THE GROUND Filed March 26,1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zmventor LEE S.GATY

Patented Aug. 16, 1932' UNITED STATE S PATEN F C LEE s. GATY, orconunnusyonro METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING HOLES IN THE GROUNDApplication filed. March 26, 1931. Serial N 525,408.

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for making holes inthe ground to receive posts or poles of various sorts.

Heretofore such holes have been dug or bored with a great expenditure oftime and money and the object of the present inven tion is to make abetter hole than can be dug or bored and do the ob much more quickly m;and cheaply thairby any means or method heretofore employed asfa'ras Iam aware.

Other objects will appear from the d1sclosure.

The invention is embodied in the example herein shown and described, thefeature of 'noveitybeingfinally claime 1 in the accompanying drawingsFlgure l is a side elevat1on, w1th some small parts omitted, of one formof the ap paratus according to the invention showing the same as carriedby a boom the latter being broken off. r 1

Fig. 2 is an elevation looking toward the right hand side of Fig. 1. v

Fig. 3 is a plan view looking at thelower end of Fig. '2. I

Fig. 4 is a view, on a larger scale, partly in section and partly brokenout of thel earth penetrating tool and the removed from its frame. Fig.5 is a side view ofthe the tool.

7 Fig. 6 is a the tool.

upper end of plan view of the upper end of fication.

Fig. 8 is a side view of the tool with parts omitted, shown in Fig. 7,removed from the hammer and dipper stick.

Fig. 9 is a detail in plan view of the upper end of the modified tool.

Fig. 10 is a detail on a larger scale showing the swivel connectingmeans between the tool and stick.

Fig. 11 is a view illustrating a post hole and the effect on the wallsthereof produced by the tool herein described for forming the same. 7

Referring first to the views, Figs. l to 6 inclusive, the character 12thereon designates the earth penetrating tool which generally ispneumatichammer pivoted to them as at 21a rebound or tool Fi 7 is asideview like Fi 1 of a modi' O i b nose 12? is secured to the lower end ofthe body 12 by means of a tapered pin 13 that can be driven, out topermit removal for sharpening'or replacement of the nose. The nose aslightly tape-red hollow body terminating at. its business end in aconical nose 12 ,Said

At its upper end the tool isprovided with perforatedears 14 by meansof'which the tool can be'hung to slotted ears 15 on the lower end'ofthe' cylinder 16 of the pneumatically operated hammer 17. Theslot'sare unalined and theconnection permits the feed of the tool andalso a rise slightly in detach ing the tool from'the ground. The pne'umatic hammer is of the ordinary kind and needs no particulardescriptionherein.

At its upper end the tool has fixed therewith a projecting collar 18notched'at dia- V metrically opposite sides to be engaged by strips 20fixed. on the backs of U-bars 19that, with'cross 'pieces'20 at the top,constitute-a frame for containing and vertically guiding the tool andhammer when in operation.

Thelower ends of said frame bars have ejectingdevice composedv of twoparallel rings'22 and23 with a series of coil s rings 24between' them.The upper ring 23 is provided diametrically with opposednotc'hes 23 toengage the U-shaped bars 19 of the guiding frame.

The springs 24 are ea chheld in position be tween therings by means-of athreaded bolt 25 secured by a jam nut to the lower ring, the

upper 'ri'ngbeing' held yieldingly down on the springs'by nuts 26. Theperforations for the bolts 25 are made large enough to permit themovement of the upper ringtoward the lower ring so thatthe springs canbe compressed; The centralo'penings of the rings 22 and 23 permit thetool, in operation, to

ass through them and whenthe toolhas' een driveninto the earth to nearlythe full length thereof and whenthe collar strikes the upper ring. 23thesprings24 are compressed with the effect that the tool is lifted aboom 29 carried on any suitable vehicle e (not shown) so that the holeforming apparatus can be transportedto the place of the job and the toollowered to the point on the surface of the ground where the hole is tobe made. The pipe for supplying compressed air to operate the hammer isshown at 16 i Referring now to Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive,

the apparatus is shown as adaptedforuse in' connection with the parts ofa power shovel.

" near-and beyond the surfaces of the walls of the hole suggest the hardpacking at and near the surface of such walls. The advanf In thisapplication the guiding frame, 1ncluding the frame members 19, beforereferred to, is dispensed with and the dipper stick 30 of the powershovel used. The rebound or ejector device is securednear the upper endofthe tool. Y

The tool is swivelly connected with the end of the dipper stick by meansof a fork or y yoke '31 having its tangs perforated to engage pins 32 onthe head of the tool; and said' fork is provided with a shank 33tl1at'can turn in bearings-in plates :3435 on the end of the dipper stick. Thesaid shank is secured by a suitable pin 36 in its said bearings.

The pneumatic hammer is supplied with operating compressed air throughpipe 37 and the hole forming apparatus is supported for raising andlowering and swinging by a cable 38 running over a pulley 39 on boom.40, such as before described. p I In Fig. 11 is depicted. the effect ofmaking a post hole in the ground with and according to the methodinvolved herein. Theheavy darkened lines and graduation ofsuch linestage of this packing is that when the tool is removed, the hole is leftclear of obstructions and readyto receive the post to beplaced andsecured therein. The hole will usually be.

thereby compressing the earth from the locus of the hole into the earthbounding such locus and yieldingly resisting the operation of thedriving tool when the hole is nearing completion.

2. In apparatus for. forming a hole in the earth for a post or the like,an earth penetratingitool having a tapered body portion and a pointedlower end, a projecting shoulder at its upper end and retracting springmeans carried atthe upper end of said tool and means for driving saidtool into the earth. .5 H I 4 3. In apparatus for forming a hole in theearth for a post or the like, an earth penetrating tool having a bodyportion and a pointed lower end, andflmeans for driving said tool intothe earth and spring means associated with said tool for detaching thesame from the walls of the hole when the same is substantially formed.

4. In apparatus for" forming a hole in the earth'for. a post or thelike, an earth penetrating tool having a tapered body portion and apointed end, and'means for driving said tool into the earth and springmeans acting on said tool for detaching the same from the walls of thehole when the same is substantially formed.

- 5. In apparatus for forming a hole in the earth for a post'or thelike, an earth penetrating tool having a'body'portion and'a pointedlower end, means for driving said tool into the earth, and spring meanslocated at the upper end'ofrthe tool and actuated by the tool when thehole is nearly formed, said spring means, tending to detach the toolfrom'the earth whenthe hole is substantially completed. I

6. In apparatus for forming a hole in the V earth for a post hole or thelike, an earth penetrating tool having a body portion and a pointedlower end, said penetrating tool being a male counterpart of the form ofthe hole to be made, and means for d'rivingsaid toolinto the earth, aframe in which'saidtoolis reciprocated, said frame carrying spring meanslocated therein to retract the tool whenthe hole is nearly completed.

' LEE S. GATY.

made of slightly larger diameter than the 7 post so that if desiredgrout or other materials can be filled into the space around the foot ofthe post and tamped to hold the post in erect position and preserve thematerial thereof at its foot.

The forms and proportions of the parts can be changed without departingfrom the 7 gist of th'e invention asclaimed.

WhatIclaim iszfl 1. The method of forming a hole in the earth consistingin driving a tool of the form of the holeinto the locus of the hole and

